A MAN who confessed to a crime for which a British teenager is serving 15 years in a Bulgarian prison appeared in court facing a ban from all football matches in the UK and abroad.

Graham Sankey, 20, from Liverpool, made a written confession to throwing a brick at a Bulgarian man during a fight in the Golden Sands resort, in Varna, in May, last year.

Sankey made his confession after another Liverpool man, 19-year-old Michael Shields, was charged with attempted murder.

The victim, 25-year-old Martin Georgiev, was left with a fractured skull and possible brain damage.

Shields was holidaying in the Black Sea resort after watching Liverpool win the Champions League final in Turkey.

His family, who have waged a high-profile campaign to overturn the conviction, want Mr Sankey to travel to Bulgaria to give evidence in person, but he has so far declined.

The Bulgarian court had refused to admit the written confession, made to a Merseyside solicitor, as evidence. They convicted Mr Shields and sentenced him to 15 years in prison.

His final appeal is due to be heard in Bulgaria later this month.

Today Sankey, from Anfield, appeared at Liverpool Magistrates Court along with two other defendants - Bradley Thompson, 19 and Anthony Wilson, 19.

Exclude

The trio, who were all in Bulgaria at the time of the incident, are facing a football banning order which would exclude them from travelling to any football match home or abroad - including the World Cup.

All three spoke only to confirm their names, ages and addresses.

The case was adjourned until May 22 for the start of a two-day trial at Liverpool Magistrates Court.

Speaking outside court, Sankey's solicitor David Kirwan said: "The Sankey family and myself are at a loss to understand why Merseyside Police has chosen to bring these proceedings against my client.

"Graham Sankey has never been involved in a football related incident in this country and the police application concerns an incident on foreign soil for which he has never been tried, let alone convicted.

"We believe strongly that there is no foundation whatsoever for this action and would call upon the police to reconsider their position."

Mr Kirwan refused to say whether his client was withdrawing his confession made in relation to the Shields' case.

He added: "There are serious discrepancies between the evidence in the Bulgarian court in the Michael Shields' case and the statement made by my client on July 28 last year.

"It is our belief that we may be talking about two entirely separate incidents.

"I would like to stress again that Graham Sankey has never been found guilty of any football-related incident in Bulgaria or the UK."

Sankey left the court room with his face shrouded by a coat into an awaiting car and made no comment.

A spokeswoman for Merseyside Police said they were unable to comment on ongoing court proceedings.